"When law and morality contradict each
other,
the citizen has the cruel alternative
of either losing his moral sense
or losing his respect for the law."
-- Frederic Bastiat

Best Freebies: 69 Awesome Things You Can Get for Free

Every
year, Kiplinger Personal Finance comes out with its list of 70 or so fabulous
freebies. Although not all are really "fabulous," it is worth quickly
scanning the slides for ones that might be of interest to you.

This list of 69 freebies is packed with
more something-for-nothing deals than ever. We don’t allow any useless junk
on our list, only quality goods and services that you would happily pay
good money for (or perhaps you already are). From free food to free investing
and financial services to free technology and entertainment, there’s something
here for everyone.

Eight household items that are worth the splurge

You may want to save where you can on mattresses and kitchen appliances,
but you may be better off splurging. Find out what items homeowners should
never skimp on and the reasons behind dumping their cheaper counterparts…the difference between the cheap stuff and
pricier counterparts can have a profound impact on your quality of life and
even your safety. Take a look.

What is Synthetic ID Theftand How Do You Spot It?
Identity theft seems to be the story of the year after the February breach at
insurance giant Anthem. Names, birthdays and Social Security numbers of an
estimated 78.8 million people were compromised. Even the IRS was recently
hacked with more than 100,000 files stolen.That’s the sort of information that can be used for a rapidly growing
form of identity theft called synthetic ID theft.

Indoor
Container GardeningI am a disabled single woman in a second
floor apartment with no yard space that would like to grow a container garden
of tomatoes and possibly strawberries. The prices are so high I can no longer
afford these favorite foods. I would love advice on indoor container gardening.
I know it is possible because as a child, I knew people who grew vegetables in
their house. I am sure there must be someone who can help me with this. I do
have good sun in the windows from the North and South for about four hours each
way every day.

Police state government to start surveilling your poop
in real time for illicit drug use… RFID tag readers in toilets will upload
urine composition to the feds

President Barack Obama reupped his
push Tuesday for the Senate to pass the USA Freedom Act by 12 a.m. Monday to
avoid the Patriot Act’s surveillance authorities from going dark.

There’s just one problem with that. Doing so
will almost certainly require the unanimous consent of all 100 senators…

Under Senate rules, there doesn’t appear to
be a way around [Senator] Paul’s objections
— or those of other senators, including Democrats Ron Wyden
of Oregon and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico — without their consent…

Yeah, why aren’t they rushing to sign that blank check of Orwellian power to
the NSA and other government spy agencies? Don’t make Emperor O throw a fit and stomp his feet now, Senators…

And Obama didn’t mince words. He said if the
Senators don’t pass this “necessary” Patriot Act extension, we the American
people simply will not be safe:

“If the Senate doesn’t act, then there is no
way to prevent those authorities from expiring,” Earnest said. “And again,
given that Senator McConnell
has acknowledged that we’re operating in a high-threat period, he, as well as
anyone, understands the kind of risk that’s associated with the Senate failing
to do their job.”

Obama himself said the authorities are
“necessary to keep us safe” in remarks at the White House.

On top of that, Josh Earnest has warned the
U.S. is operating in a “high threat” period. Really,
Mr.?

Tell us, has there been a time since 9/11 that
hasn’t been the case??

People are taking that so seriously, we saw a
comment earlier that said, “The terror threat level color is stupid.” Not that
the terror threat coding is stupid (although it is)… but that the color of the
day is literally stupid.

At this point, it’s kinda like those schools
that have fire drills every
other five minutes, so when there is a real
fire and the alarms are going off and the building is burning
down, no one even bothers to stop what they’re doing or even look up.

The people are numb to the pretense and the b.s. justifications at this point.

And come on already. “The USA Freedom Act”…?
What a joke. Is anyone out there even still under the misguided notion any of
us are free here?

Lawmakers want to
make the Capitol building more secure after existing security measured failed
to detect or stop Douglas Hughes who, on 15 April, flew his gyrocopter into the
Capitol manicured lawn. Some of these lawmakers want to deploy the Tethered Aerostat
Radar System, or TARS a giant blimp carrying 2,000-pounds radars that can spot
an aircraft at a distance of 200 miles. Several TARS are already deployed along
the U.S.-Mexico border, and along a 340-mile stretch of the Atlantic coast
stretching from North Carolina to Boston. The blimp loiters at about 10,000
feet but in order not to mar the Washington, D.C. skyline, lawmakers suggest
acquiring a blimp which can hover at a higher altitude.

NOTE: Our government will spend
billions protecting themselves from the people and others who are sick and
tired of their self destructive nonsense, they’ll bomb the blazes out of other
nations and then spend more of our money rebuilding them…but take a look around
you in our own country.A fading and unsafe infrastructure make many of
our cities look like 3rd world countries!

Books, Art, Video – the saucy, the odd, the retro,
even the practical…

"Guard with jealous attention the
public liberty.
Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.
Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force.
Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
-- Patrick Henry
(1736-1799) US Founding Father

We live in an era where chaos and anarchy is coming to
our cities. I’ll bet you’ve noticed how violence is increasing on the
streets of America. Over Memorial Day weekend, 29 people were shot in
Baltimore and 55 people were shot in Chicago. According to the
FBI, the number of police officers “feloniously killed” in the line of duty
rose by an astounding 89 percent in 2014. Cops killed over 1200 unarmed citizens in 2014 – a new record high…

We live at a time
when Americans are becoming extremely angry and extremely frustrated, and this
is only going to intensify as economic conditions worsen.Fox2News of Detroit’s Charlie Duff has an
interesting series called “The Americans” in which he features arrogant,
out-of-touch politicians and stupid government policies.

In a recent episode he took an Amtrak train from
Washington to NYC with stops along the way in Baltimore, Philly, etc. to
interview the common citizen as to their take why their cities are falling
apart but DC and NY are doing well because of the political cash which flows
into what your humble Poor Man has called the Washington-Wall Street Cartel.The results were as I’ve written for ten
years…the citizens are ANGRY at how the political elite feather their nest,
foster non-stop wars and how corporate America no longer respects its social
contract with the people in regard to jobs and wages.

According
to a Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey that was recently released, 96 percent of all Americans believe that there will be more
civil unrest in America this summer.What do you think?As the income
gap grows and the bureaucrats and politicians run ramshod over our rights while
enriching themselves at our expense – just what would one expect?

Even the times are relatively stable,
violence is escalating. Look at what happened in Baltimore over the
holiday weekend. A grand total of 29 people were shot…

Police say
29 people were shot, 9 of them killed over this weekend, adding to the record-breaking
violence.

The shooting
didn’t stop on Monday night after a 9-year-old boy and another man were both
injured by gun fire in the 2900 block of Arunah Avenue. Police say the
child was shot in the leg and another man suffered a graze wound to the
head.

Overall,
this past month has been the deadliest month for Baltimore in 15 years.

Things are
even worse in the city of Chicago. Over this past weekend, 55 people got shot…

Twelve people were killed and at least 43
— including a 4-year-old girl — were wounded in shootings across Chicago this
Memorial Day weekend, police said.

The
4-year-old, identified by her family as Jacele Johnson, was shot about 8 p.m.
Friday in the West Englewood neighborhood. She and her 17-year-old cousin
Romare Wilson were inside an SUV in the 7000 block of South Justine when
another vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, according to their
family and Chicago Police.

Author Chris Hedges is saying similar
things. The following is from an article about him in the National Post…

The United
States is primed for a rebellion. So argues Chris Hedges in his new book, Wages of Rebellion, in
which the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and polemicist examines revolts
from 1700s to the ending of apartheid in South Africa, as well as the “sublime
madness” that drives the people at the centre of such rebellions.

I didn’t
write it as a warning or a prediction. I wrote it more as an assessment. I
covered disintegrating societies like Yugoslavia. I know how
they break down; I know what the warning signs are, so it’s familiar. I don’t
think at this point there’s much dispute. Even the
financial indicators in terms of wealth disparity and chronic unemployment. The
fact that
Congress has a 9% approval
rating
provides an indication of the overall dissatisfaction in our nation with
politicians.

But it isn’t just that we are entering a new
cycle of unrest. Our “leaders” have made things much worse by the
decisions that they have made. For instance, Barack Obama’s decision to
leave our southern border virtually unguarded has resulted in a massive flood
of illegal immigrants coming into this country. As a result, violent
gangs that have roots in Central America and South America have spread across
our nation like rats and are now infesting cities like Washington DC and Charlotte, North Carolina are being absolutely terrorized
by these gangs…

What’s left of the Middle
Class is NOT Happy

Since
the 1980s corporate America has abandoned the American worker, shoveling good
jobs overseas, eliminating pensions and health care, and few share their burden
of taxes…it’s been reported that certain fast food giants and certain retailers
actually encourage their employees to get food stamps and Medicaid, making
taxpayers shoulder that burden.

Those
who have money, the upper one-percenters have taken notice and are moving
assets out of the country in record numbers, setting up hidden ‘fortress-like’
homes and sales of so-called safe rooms are booming.

Customized safe
rooms, door and window reinforcements and other considerations can be
installed easily enough to protect against many of the scenarios, including
home invasion, starving masses roaming for food and even SWAT
raids.

While a determined force cannot be kept out
indefinitely, these measures can buy time and help your family and most important
survival assets keep out of sight if and when they come.

Never
trust a man when he’s in love, drunk, or running for office!>Shirley Maclaine

How to make a secret door/book case

A
number of years ago I owned an old mansion with 11 bedrooms and eight baths and
a full basement with several secret rooms…we also had an even more secret room
near the attic for which I used for ‘special’ projects…lots of fun and it would
have reminded many of the classic Stephen King movie, “The Shining.”

My good friends recently renovated their
attic and were able to close off some of the “unusable” space into a secret
room. My friend has wanted to have a secret room his entire life, and with
their first child on his way soon, the recent renovation was the perfect way to
make it happen. The whole idea is for his son, in about four years, to find a
secret playroom in his house!

The renovation left an opening for me to
build the bookcase in, framed out simply as a short door frame. Even though the
walls are new construction, the floor and ceiling have been around since the
1920’s. Old construction adds a whole lot of variables to making built in cabinetry,
and I definitely ran into lots of hurdles because of it.Learn more here:

Rooftop Farming Kits

This Urban Farmers Modular System Helps Anyone Create Their Own Operation

If you've ever wanted to create a garden on your roof, this
rooftop farming kit lets you transform essentially any bit of spare roof space
into a full-on operation. Available from Urban Farmers, the UF Farm is a
commercial scale system complete with greenhouses and custom shipping
containers.

The modular kit could be used by anyone with an interest in growing food,
whether it be a restaurant, grocery store or educational institution. The
rooftop farming operation can be installed on just about any kind of roof,
making it very versatile and offers the added benefit of the farmers not having
to start from scratch. The aquaponics system can support both fish and plants,
where the fish fertilize the plants and the plants filter the fishes' water.

The Shroombox by Fungaea kit
will make it easy for even the gardening adverse to get their hands dirty with
urban farming.

The Shroombox by Fungaea kit is easy to go and ready upon arrival, producing
fresh oyster mushrooms in under two weeks, and the product boasts eco-friendly
packaging in the form of a 100% recyclable inner bag and an outer box made from
locally sourced recycled coffee grounds.

In addition to oyster mushrooms, Fungaea also offers organic sprout kits. The
Shroombox by Fungaea is a great introduction to the growing locavore movement
and could serve as important inspiration in starting a full, farm-fresh urban
garden at home.

12 Ways to
Prepare for Economic Collapse

No one can really say what the
future will be like when the unthinkable happens. But if there’s one thing we
know as preppers, it’s that we should always hope for the best but plan for the
worst.

Planning for economic collapse is
a different type of disaster preparedness, but it is noless important. Here are a few ways you can set aside resources and prepare for the unthinkable
disaster of economic collapse.

·Tuna-can emergency
light:Stab a small hole in the top of a
can of oil-packed tuna, and roll a 2x5 inch piece of newspaper into a wick to
absorb the oil, then light with a match – it will burn for about two hours and
you can still eat the tuna.

·Bra-cup debris mask [I
wrote a variation of this two years ago in the our bulletin]…useful when
confronted with a smoky room.Cover your
face with a bra cup to keep the particles from entering your lungs.Use the straps to secure it to your face.

·Lip Balm Space
Heater:Trapped in a snow-bound auto
without heat…a burning candle can raise the heat level of your car a few
degrees.Using a cotton string from a
tampon or other source and a paper clip place it into a tube of lip balm.Light the wick and it can burn for
hours.Keep the plastic tube from
catching fire by slowly twisting out the balm as the wick burns down.I tried this with dental floss and it worked
well too.

Be a good neighbor – Share these resources

I
just spent $30 on apples at Whole Foods and then I dropped both of them!

USDA launched itsFoodKeeper mobile app, which contains specific guidance
on more than 400 food and beverage items, including safe cooking
recommendations for meat, poultry and seafood products. The app provides information
on how to store food and beverages to maximize their freshness and quality.

We Negotiate

There was a time when I never would have questioned a
bill from any professional. Whether it was the lawyer doing our wills or a
plumber fixing a toilet, whatever they asked for I paid. No more! Recently, we
went to have our wills updated with some minor changes. I was surprised at the
bill and couldn't help but ask about it. He adjusted it down and didn't seem
surprised by my questioning it. Now I feel free to ask about any bill.
Sometimes I get a reduction and sometimes I don't. Either way, I've decided it
can't hurt to ask!

How
to Make an Effective Consumer Complaint
I need to learn how to make an effective consumer complaint. It seems like
products always fail shortly after the warranty expires, or the services
promised aren't delivered. Is there any way to get companies to do what's
right? I'd love to find a way to complain that would get results.

Summer
Kitchen Energy Efficiency
Summer is on the way and that means it's time to look around the house to find
frugal and creative ways to reduce the cost of staying cool. If you begin your
search in the kitchen, you will discover numerous ways to save money on your
electric bill and quite possibly on your grocery bill. Read
more.